Brick mason&#39;s line guide



May 27, 1958 M. w. LACIS BRICK NASONS LINE cums:

Filed April 13, 1956 34 INVENTORL fiz Milwa- BRICK MASONS-LINE GUIDE Max W. Lacis, Cheyenne, Wyo.

Application April 13,1956, Serial No. 578,087

1 Claim. (Cl. 33-85) In the erectionof walls of brick, blocks, stone, or 'tile,

and more particularly in the construction of walls to be built between existing Walls or pilasters, it is difficult to insure the proper levelling and plumbing of superposed courses of masonry material.

The present'invention has as its main object the provision of an improved line guide for brick masons, tile setters, etc. so designed that it will insure the accurate laying of the building material in perfectly horizontal courses'and will also insure'the'proper plumbing 'of the wall. Her'etofore, it has been 'diflicult to achieve these desirable results, except with the expenditure of considerable time and effort on the part of the worker, accompanied by a high degree of skill.

Another object is to provide a device of the nature stated which will eliminate the present necessity of building corner leads.

Still another object is to provide a line guide usable to advantage on both interior and exterior masonry walls.

Still another object is to so design the line guide that it will be particularly usable to advantage in the erection of interior, exposed masonry of various types, such as vertical and horizontal stacking, basket weave, and coarse-patterned ashlar bonds.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claim appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing portions of existing walls between which extends a connecting wall that is being erected, the line guide of the invention being shown in proper position to aid in the construction of the wall;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a left hand slide element included in the invention;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a right izand slide element;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a left hand guide member;

Figure 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the right hand guide member;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevational view, the scale being further enlarged, of the left hand guide member, showing the wall-contacting surface thereof;

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view, on substantially the same scale as Figure 6, taken on line 77 of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical section through one of the slide elements; and a Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of a modular spacing scale of conventional design.

At A, B, and C I have shown masonry walls. Existing walls have been designated at A, B. At C there is shown a wall to extend between the existing walls. Wall C can be of any desired design and can be erected through the use of bricks, blocks, stone, or tile.

The line guide constituting the invention has been generally designated 30. It includes a pair of elongated,

United States Patent *9 M 2,835,977 Patented May 27, 1958 vertical, identical but opposite guide members 12, including flat, wide body portions 16, 18 respectively formed along one longitudinal edge with continuous longitudinal flanges '20, 22 terminating at their outer edges in longitudinal lips 24, 26 lying in planes normal to those of the flanges. I

As shown in Figure 7, the lips 24 extend rearwardly tom the outer faces of the body portions of the guide members, with the flanges 2t lying in the planes of said front faces. Lips 24, 26 terminate short of the planes of the back, wall-contacting faces of the guide members, thus defining openings 28 when the guide members are positioned in contact with the existing Walls A, B.

The provision of the flanges and lips defines'in thelguide member longitudinal recesses 30, '32 "opening in a rearward direction and extending the full length of the respective guide members.

Formed in the guide members, at selected intervals along the length thereof, are openings 34, receiving connectingelements or studs 36 which are driven into the associated existing walls and have threaded outer end portions 38 receiving wing nuts 40 adapted to 'bear against the guide members. When the studs are driven into'the existing walls, the guide members can'bepositioned thereon and secured in face to-face contact with the walls A, B by means of the wing nuts 40. Apertures 34 would be spaced in such a manner as to fit the bed joints of the particular type of existing wall against which the guide members are to be positioned.

On the outer faces of the respective guide members transverse line markings 42 are provided, spaced apart according to the markings of a conventional modular scale 44, having indicia 46.

lidable longitudinally of the respective guide members are slide elements or plates 48, 50 respectively. These are oppositely but identically formed and include flat, generally rectangular body portions 52, 54 formed with the pairs of vertically spaced openings 56, 58 respectively. Extendable through the openings ofthe slide plates 48, 50 are the ends of a masons line 60. Said ends are looped through the openings as shown in Figure 8 and knots 62 are formed in the line to hold the same taut in a horizontal position extending between walls A, B as shown in Figure 1.

Formed upon one vertical edge of the respective slide plates are hooked flanges 64, 66 adapted to engage about the lipped flanges 20, 22 of the guide members.

In use of the device, the guide members are mounted in vertical positions upon walls A, B at selected locations. The lower ends of the guide members are spaced a short distance above the floor or ground surface, but the distance of the lower ends above the floor surface will vary according to the particular situation and will depend upon unfinished floor heights, etc.

In any event, with the guide members attached to the walls and the slide plates engaged in the grooves of the guide members, the plates can be adjusted upwardly at periodic intervals, over identical distances. The accurate positioning of the slide plates on each adjustment thereof is insured through the use of the corresponding indicia 42 of the respective guide members.

As each course is laid, the slide plates may be shifted upwardly to the next course. In this connection, the line extending between the slide plates is so located that it will be closely spaced from the top edge of the masonry in order that the courses may be laid without contact with the line. In this way, the accuracy of the construction will be insured to the maximum extent, all without the necessity of building corner leads.

It may be noted that the modular rule provided upon the faces of the guide members will include indicia prefererably spaced as to facilitate'the'laying of courses of different types of masonry material. The numerical indicia associated with these'lected 'line markings are, ac-

-fcordingly,;chosen to facilitate location of'the lineson the -scales that are to 'be followed during a particular operation;

It isl'believed apparent that the invention is not neces- V sarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the'specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to "be illustrative of the principles of'operation and the means presently devised -to carryout said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor ehangein construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claim.

I What is claimed is: V V A brick masonfs line guide for use in erecting a new wall extending between existing walls in a plane perpen- "from said existing wall, said body portion of each guide member being formed with a continuous longitudinal 4 flange extending outwardly from onelongitudinal edge of the body portion substantially in the plane of the front surface, said flange terminating at its outer edge in a lip extending longitudinally of the flange and lying in a plane 1 normal to that of the flange, said lip, flange, and the adjacent longitudinal edgeof the body portion defining a rearwardly opening, longitudinal recess in the guide member, the lip extending rearwardly from the plane of the flange and'terminating at its back edge short of the plane of the back surface, defining a side opening communicate ing with the recess between the existing wall and lip; op-

posite but identical slide plates slidable longitudinally of the respective guide members on the lips thereof, each plate'including a flat body portion and a hook-shaped flange thereon extending into the associated recess through the side opening thereof, the body portions of the slide plates lying in a common plane normal to the planes j of the body portions of .the guide members; and a line connected at its ends to and extending between the slide plates in the plane of the body portions of the slide plates.

References Cited in thejfile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 519,576 'Ho1t May 3, 1894 525,213 Holt Aug. 28, 1894 2,076,534 Galbraith Apr., 13, 1937 

